Veterans A Salute to
H
As we remember the 100th Anniversary of the end of WWI, we also honor all veterans and those presently serving in the military. We salute you for your service and your sacrifice.
Laura E. Fulkerson
Bill Jones
John Kyle Bentley z Hawkins Co. Veterans Day Celebration Downtown Rogersville, Saturday, Nov. 10............................................. 2 z Laura E. Fulkerson Young African-American woman from Rogersville distinguished herself as Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army ................................. 3
z Bill Jones The Battle for the Aleutians: Hawkins Co. combat engineer
participated in one of the remote conflicts of WWII............................ 4
z John Kyle Bentley John Kyle Bentley’s experience as Korean War POW recalled by daughter.............................................................................. 5, 6
z Hawkins County celebrated the 1953 homecoming
of two Korean War POWs ........................................................... 7 z Legion Post 21 honored POWs and MIAs...................... 8 z WWII veterans honored here in 2018............................... 9 z Color Guard needs veteran volunteers........................ 10 z How civilians can lend military families a helping hand................................................................................ 15 z Careers:
Are you a job-seeking veteran? What to know.................................. 15
Hawkins Co. Color Guard A Special Publication of The Rogersville Review
z History
November 11 declared “Armistice Day” in honor of the ending of WWI............................................................. 15
November 10/11, 2018
Page 2 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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Above, An NJROTC cadet salutes the Stars and Stripes; at right, an NJROTC cadet escorts a representative of an American Legion Auxiliary unit to place a wreath on the Veterans Memorial during the 2017 Hawkins Co. Veterans celebration.
Hawkins Co. Veterans Day celebration will be held Saturday, Nov. 10 in downtown Rogersville BY BILL JONES
9643, with support from VFW Posts 9693 in Bulls Gap and 9754 in Church Hill and the Hawkins Co. American Legion Post in Rogersville. Hawkins County’s official Veterans On Saturday morning, Nov. 10, Day celebration will be held at 11 a.m. recorded patriotic music will begin Saturday, Nov. 10, in front of the playing on the town square in front of Courthouse. the courthouse at 10 a.m. The annual event normally is held At 11 a.m., a bell will be rung 11 times at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 – the time and date by members of Cub Scout Pack 100 in on which the armistice that ending front of the courthouse. fighting in World War I took effect – but An opening prayer will be offered has been moved to Saturday this year by Rev. Tecky Hicks with remarks by because Nov. 11 falls on Sunday and the Master of Ceremonies, Capt. (retired) 11 a.m. start time would conflict with Larry Wheeler of VFW Post 9543. the starting of Sunday morning church After the opening remarks, the services across the county. American flag will be raised over This year marks the 100th the Veterans Memorial in front of anniversary of the end of WWI and the the Courthouse by cadets from the beginning of Veterans Day. Cherokee High and Volunteer High The program is sponsored by Navy Junior Reserve Officer Training Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post Program units. NJROTC cadets also
STAFF WRITER
will post the American Legion and VFW colors at the Veterans Memorial and Mary Ellen Broome will sing the national anthem. Emcee Wheeler will introduce guest speaker Dennis “Jake” Jacobs, a veteran of the Vietnam War. Following Jacobs’ remarks, members of the ladies auxiliaries of veterans organization, Gold Star Family members and a representative of the Sons of the American Revolution will post commemorative wreaths at the Veterans Memorial in front of the courthouse. Those posting wreaths will be assisted by NJROTC cadets from Cherokee and Volunteer High Schools. Dennis Elkins, first vice commander of American Legion Post 21, will then honor those Hawkins County service members who were killed in action and those who remain missing in action by
releasing balloons in their honor. Members of the Hawkins Co. Color Guard will then fire three rifle volleys in honor of fallen service members from the county. The military hymn “Taps” will then be played by Mary Ellen Broome to conclude the program. A free lunch will be served to veterans following the program at the Hawkins Co. Cattlemen’s Association building on Stanley Valley Road just off Highway 11W.
Veterans Day 2018 falls on Sunday, Nov. 11. Monday, Nov. 12 will be celebrated as a Federal holiday.
The Hawkins County Industrial Community
Thank you,
Norman E. Cinnamon
Veterans Thank You
for your service.
Norman E. Cinnamon, Spec. 4 Vietnam • 1966-1968
On Veterans Day, we honor the men and women whose military service protects the fabric, values and security of our great nation.
Monroe’s Body Shop Inc.
2614 Hwy 66S Rogersville, Tennessee 37857 423-235-5517 mbsinc@yahoo.com 423-235-5515 fax
www.hawkinstnindustrial.com 107 East Main Street, Suite 221 | Rogersville, TN 37857 423.272.7668 | 423.272.0200
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A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018 • Page 3
Young African-American woman from Rogersville distinguished herself as Lt. Col. in the U.S. Army wrote that many Swift college (and Swift High School) graduates joined the U.S. military and made a significant contribution to the country. “The African-American experiences in the U.S. military reveal a complex and conflicted history,” she wrote. “Since the arrival of slaves on the North American continent, they shared a belief in defending freedom in the U.S. and in the world. African Americans fought in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, The Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm, in Afghanistan and in Iraq. All were gallant and some made the ultimate sacrifice. “The U.S. military did not initially embrace African-Americans nor did the military know how to incorporate them into the branches of service. There were segregated units and isolated missions. However, in the 1950’s, the military finally allowed equal treatment of African-American servicemen and servicewomen. Story after story documented acts of heroism and bravery on the battlefield and also from
BY BILL JONES STAFF WRITER
When 88-year-old retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Laura E. Fulkerson died at the James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Johnson City last April 19, the Hawkins County native left behind an illustrious record of service to her country and others. She is interred at the Mountain Home National Cemetery along with numerous other U.S. military veterans dating back to at least the Spanish American War. Col. Fulkerson was born near Rogersville, in Hawkins County, on July 26, 1929. According to her obituary, She worked in public health nursing after graduation and later joined the U.S. military as a nurse and was sent to the Philippine Islands. She retired after 23 years of service from the U.S. Army as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Swift alumni salute Lt. Col. Fulkerson
“We posthumously salute a Swift graduate with a distinguished military record,” wrote Swift Alumni member Linda Kincaid. “Lieutenant Colonel Laura Fulkerson was born in Hawkins County, and raised in the Petersburg community. She was the fifth child of eight children born to the late Tom and Cornelia Fulkerson. “Her father was a tobacco farmer and her mother was a homemaker. Laura graduated from Swift Memorial Junior College in 1951 and from Freedman’s School of Nursing at the prestigious Howard University in 1955. “Laura never married. She worked in public health nursing after graduation and later joined the U.S. Air Force, which sent her to the Philippine Islands. She later retired from the U.S. Army. She was also a charter member of Women’s Memorial in Washington, D.C. “Laura was a soft-spoken ‘gentile woman with a southern charm’. She was a dedicated nurse and after her retirement she continued to use her nursing skills by helping others. She also worked tirelessly in her church and her community.”
Laura E. Fulkerson Laura E. Fulkerson as a young U.S. Army Officer She also was a member of the AME Zion Church, where she served as a deaconess, secretary of the Sunday school, Willing Workers Club, Women’s Service Club, and senior choir and enjoyed working with the church as long
as she was able to do so. Those left to cherish Laura’s memory include sisters, Hazel Miller and Ellen Jenkins; and several nieces, nephews, and cousins. Swift alumni spokesperson Kincaid
those that did not see combat including their contributions in supportive roles (cooks, medics, etc.) in all branches of the military. “Serving in the military afforded many African Americans the ability to see parts of the world that would have remained just a place to fantasize about otherwise. Many made a career of the military. Many were able to take advantage of completing their education on the G.I. Bill that was signed into law in 1944. Many were afforded an opportunity to purchase a home and to receive healthcare though the Veterans Administration.”
Honoring the Best and the
Bravest For their courage, hard work and dedication to their country, we salute the men and women of our Armed Forces past and present. It is because of their sacrice that America remains the land of the free, and we thank them for protecting our citizens and our country. Wishing all of our veterans and soldiers a very happy Veterans Day.
CUSTOM
Heating & Air Conditioning, LLC
423-357-1922 1-800-753-6222
119 E. Main Blvd. • Church Hill, TN
www.customheatingandair.net
— SERVING ALL TRI-CITIES —
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THE BATTLE FOR THE ALEUTIANS:
Hawkins Co. combat engineer participated in one of the remote conflicts of WWII BY BILL JONES STAFF WRITER
A few Hawkins County men were members of a U.S. Army combat engineer unit that played a key role in a now largely forgotten World War II battle with the Japanese in May 1943 on a frozen island at the tip of the Aleutian Island chain off Alaska. During the Battle of Midway in the Pacific, Japanese forces had captured the U.S. owned islands of Attu and Kiska at the far western end of the Aleutian chain. The two islands were the only actual American territory actually captured by the Japanese during the war and U.S. leaders soon ordered that the islands be recaptured. That job fell to the U.S. Army’s 7th Infantry Division and its attached units. Among those attached units was what was called the 50th Engineer Combat Regiment (sometimes referred to only as a battalion). Among the soldiers assigned to that unit was a young Hawkins County native named Bill Jones. He was my father and he was 23 when he took part in what came to be called the “Battle of Engineer Hill” on Attu Island.
Bill Jones The 50th Engineers unit history says what came to be known as the 50th Engineer Combat Battalion was originally the 1st Battalion of the 50th Engineer Combat Regiment. The regiment was activated at Camp White, Oregon, on Sept. 4, 1942. The original cadre of seven officers and 106 enlisted men was furnished by the 39th Engineers. Fillers (additional troops need to bring the unit up to strength) were practically all draftees chiefly from the Midwest, a few from Texas and a few from California. The unit history doesn’t say so, but some of them were from Tennessee and other southern states. He became a member of the 50th Engineers at Fort Ord, Cal., where it was undergoing training. Another local resident who served in the 50th Engineers was the late Grant Trent. “The regiment remained at Camp White, undergoing basic training, until about 10 January 1943 when the 1st Battalion was sent to Southern California while the 2nd Battalion went to Fort Ord, California,” the unit history says. “The regiment was brought together again in March 1943, and attached to the Seventh Infantry Division. A program of intensive amphibious training was begun. and preparations made for an overseas movement. “On April 24, 1943 the 7th Infantry’ Division and attached troops sailed for the Attu Operation. The 1st Battalion was attached to the 7th Infantry to perform shore party work.. Companies “A” and “C” landed with the Infantry at Massacre Bay, Attu, on “D” Day, May 11 , 1943. Company “B” landed at the same time on Red Beach by Holtz Bay. The 2nd Battalion landed on D plus 1 day and aided in shore party work. Following the shore party phase 1st Battalion troops were engaged in the forward movement of supplies to the Infantry. This work consisted chiefly of handpacking (carrying) ammunition and rations to otherwise inaccessible positions (on the island).” As my dad told the story to me in my youth, the Japanese did not directly oppose the U.S. landings on Attu Island and fell back into the mountains. U.S. 7th Infantry Division soldiers then began attempting to drive the Japanese out of the mountains. But that proved to be very difficult due to both the tenacity of the Japanese and the terrible weather. In fact, my dad said, the Japanese were better equipped for the severe weather than were the Americans. He said his unit was equipped with only light jackets and had no real cold-weather clothing, while the Japanese would be found to have parkas suited the northern climate and other cold-weather gear. Dad explained that the members of his unit were carrying ammunition and other supplies to the American infantry soldiers who were fighting the Japanese in the mountains of Attu Island. The engineers would walk up the mountain in the morning each day and walk back down in the later afternoon or evening. Darkness, he said. fell early, in May 1943 on Attu. The 50th Engineers activity, my dad recalled, did not escape the notice of the Japanese, who were gradually being
The late Bill Jones. Photo by Bill Jones
A few Hawkins County men were members of a U.S. Army combat engineer unit that played a key role in a now largely forgotten World War II battle with the Japanese in May 1943 on a frozen island at the tip of the Aleutian Island chain off Alaska. ground down by American infantry and artillery in the mountains. “The 50th Engineer Regiment was caught in the (Japanese) break-through about 5 a.m. May 29, 1943, and was responsible for breaking the “Banzai” attack and preventing it from carrying through to the beachhead,” the unit history says. “Approximately 350 enemy (soldiers) were killed by members of the regiment, and the unit was highly complimented for the work. Losses (among the engineers) were about twenty men killed and about thirty five wounded.” As my dad recalled the fight on Engineer Hill on May 29, 1943, Japanese soldiers simply walked down the trail that the engineers had used and were able to enter the American lines as if they were American troops returning from the mountain. Once inside the perimeter of the American camp, my dad said, the Japanese attacked the field hospital, killing most of the wounded and ill soldiers who were there along with the members of the hospital staff. One man was later found alive hidden beneath a
collapsed tent, my father recalled. In the darkness, the Japanese then attacked the 50th Engineers who were camped on a small hill. But the engineers, who were not supposed to be combat soldiers, held off the attacking Japanese until after daybreak. The American forces counterattacked the Japanese after the sun rose and those Japanese soldiers who were not killed by the Americans killed themselves with hand grenades that they held to their chests until they exploded. As a boy, I asked my dad if he shot any Japanese soldiers. All he would ever say was “everybody was shooting.” The unit history said that following the combat phase the 50th Engineer Regiment was engaged in construction work until July 10, 1943, when the 1st Battalion embarked for Adak (Island) and preparation for· the Kiska (Island) operation. Regimental :Headquarters and the 2nd Battalion remained on Attu. The landing on Kiska took place. on Aug. 15, 1943. The Battalion engaged in shore pat1y work and road maintenance and construction until it sailed for Oahu, Hawaii, on Sept. 25, 1943.
On Nov. 29, 1943, the unit history says, the 1st Battalion was reorganized and redesignated 50th Engineer Combat Battalion. While on Oahu in the Hawaii, work was done on the preparation and building of camp-sites. The Battalion was again attached to the 7th Division about Dec. 10, 1943, and training in amphibious landings, jungle tactics and Infantry tactics was carried on. On January 21, 1944, the unit history says, the Battalion attached to the 7th Infantry, sailed for Kwajalein in the Marshall Islands, to participate in the Mandated Islands Campaign. Fallowing the shore party phase, the organization performed construction work until June 24, 1944, when embarkation was begun for a return to the Island of Oahu. No battle casualties were suffered. While the unit history says no battle casualties were suffered, my father was wounded on Kwajalein when a large ammunition dump exploded during a Japanese air raid. My dad earned a “Purple Heart” medal for a leg wound suffered when a piece of wood penetrated one of his legs. As dad told the story of his wounding, he was sleeping in a tent and ignored an air-raid warning. He said that in event of an air raid, he and the soldiers in his company were supposed to jump into trenches that had been dug in the sand near where they were working (or in his case sleeping). But dad didn’t follow the prescribed procedure – and lived to tell about it. When the nearby ammunition dump blew up, he said, he was blown out of the tent in which he was sleeping and awoke with a piece of wooden debris embedded in his leg. Some of the soldiers who followed orders and dove into trenches that had been dug in the sand died when the trenches collapsed from the concussion of the ammunition dump explosion. The leg wound won dad a trip back to Hawaii for medical treatment and rehabilitation. But it wasn’t bad enough to get him sent back to the U.S. He rejoined his unit during the invasion of the Philippine Islands. “After a very brief rehabilitation period, the Battalion was assigned to the 1140th Engineer Combat Group, and attached to the 7th Infantry Division for shore party work, the unit history says. “Following a practice training cruise to another island, the XXIV Corps, consisting of the 7th and 96th Divisions, sailed for the Philippine operation. “The landing was made on “A” Day October 20, 1944, at Dulag, Leyte, Philippine Islands, and work immediately started on unloading ships,” the unit said. “The Battalion suffered heavy casualties during enemy bombing on the night of October 25, 1944. Some trucks and heavy equipment were lost. Since being relieved of shore party operations the battalion was engaged in bridge and road construction and maintenance.” My father ended WWII in Korea as part of U.S. forces that occupied what is now South Korea.. He sailed back to California after the end of the war in the Pacific and eventually was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army at a camp in Arkansas. He finally made his way home to Rogersville and had to ask friends where his youngest sister then lived. Their mother had died on Jan. 1, 1944. Their father had died in 1930. Dad’s younger brother had lied about his age and joined the Navy as a juvenile. Dad and my late mother rekindled their pre-war romance and were married on May 9, 1947.
THANK YOU VETERANS
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John Kyle Bentley Sherrie Bentley Davis, daughter of the late John Kyle Bentley, poses with a photo of her late father as he looked after enlisting in the U.S. Army in 1950. Photo by Bill Jones
An oil painting of the late John Kyle Bentley rests beside a small book in which his mother, Bessie Bentley, kept the names of his fellow prisoners of war during the Korean War. Photo by Bill Jones
BY BILL JONES
How Captured
John Kyle Bentley’s experience as Korean War POW recalled by daughter
STAFF WRITER
The late John Kyle Bentley spent most of his life in the country along rural Lee Valley Road near here. But not all of it. In fact, Kyle, as he was known to his family and friends, spent 27 months as a young American soldier in a Communist Chinese prisoner-of-war camp in North Korea. He had been captured in May 1951 only about a month after arriving in Korea. He was initially reported as missingin-action and his family in Tennessee
didn’t learn for months that he was actually a prisoner of war, according to his daughter, Sherrie Bentley Davis. She recalled that Kyle’s father, the late Jesse Bentley went to the woods to pray shortly after learning that Kyle was missing in action. Sherrie noted that her grandfather asked God to cause his left eye to itch if Kyle was still alive and his right eye to itch if Kyle had died. “Before he got back to his barn, his left eye began to itch and he knew his son was alive,” Sherrie said of her grandfather. Official confirmation that Kyle was alive and being held as a POW came later, she said.
“We got overrun by the Chinese in the night,” Bentley told interviewer Tammy Cheek in 1993. “The front-line troops pulled back but left us (behind). We never caught up with them. The Chinese picked us up.” The “we” was the U.S. Army’s Company D of the First Battalion of the 61st Infantry Regiment. The survivors of that unit have, for decades, held an annual reunion in Western Kentucky. Bentley attended four of the reunions before his death in January 2005. He explained in the 1993 article by Cheek that he and four other
soldiers were hiding in a depression in the ground when a Chinese soldier discovered them. They were held in a “dugout” in the ground for a week before being forced-marched to a prisoner-ofwar camp, he explained. “Being captured was the last thing I thought of,” he said. “I expected them to kill me. I didn’t expect them to capture me.” He and 17 other members of his unit subsequently were taken to a POW camp where he spent the next 27 months. In the camp, they underwent Continued on page 6
Lafollette’s Greenehouses & Farms
Veteran Owned Four Generation Family Operated
H
ollis LaFollette served in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 to 1960. After his four years of service to our country, he returned to the family farm in Hawkins County near Surgoinsville. Hollis’ brother, William “Bill” Lafollette saw service in Viet Nam in the Marines. Hollis and his wife, Mildred, helped his dad on the farm eventually taking over the operation. Today, he, his son, Harvey LaFollette, and grandsons Dustin and Jake LaFollette operate the business. Lafollette’s Greenhouses and Farms has seen much growth and changes over the years and continues to evolve to meet today’s needs. In addition to producing top quality plants and produce, Lafollette’s has instituted a corn maze with a playground for smaller children; a covered pavillion available for picnics and gatherings; and special events throughout the year. Lafollette’s Greenhouses and Farms is a four-generation family farm.
Pictured, left to right are Dustin LaFollette, Hollis LaFollette, Harvey LaFollette and Jake LaFollette.
LaFollette’s
Greenhouses & Farms Inc.
3660 Stanley Valley Road Surgoinsville, TN • 423-357-1526 email: hlgreenhouse@aol.com
Page 6 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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Sherrie also said saw her father cry only once and that was when, at a 2001 reunion, he first saw the faces of some of the men he had been with in the Korean prisoner-of-war camp from 1951 to 1953. John Kyle Bentley (pictured fourth from left in the front row) posed for this photo along with other former Korean War prisoners of war from his Army unit about 2001 during a unit reunion. Photo by Sherrie Bentley Davis
John Kyle Bentley’s experience From page 5
attempts to “brainwash” them, he said in the interview. “They would set aside groups of us (and) tell us good things about communism and bad things about our country day after day,” he said. “You just about had to block it out. It was the only way you could withstand it. “If you kept your nose clean, there wasn’t too much physical torture. There was mental torture the whole time.” But he and other southerners in the prisoner-of-war camp supported each other as they resisted brainwashing efforts. “A bunch of us old hillbillies stuck together,” Bentley said in the 1990s interview. He also recalled that some men died in the prison camp from dysentery and others simply “gave up” and died.
Sherrie also said saw her father cry only once and that was when, at a 2001 reunion, he first saw the faces of some of the men he had been with in the Korean prisoner-of-war camp from 1951 to 1953. “He saw them and they saw them and they all started crying,” she said. Sherrie noted that he had not cried previously at the birth of his son nor at family deaths or other devastating events. She explained that members of his Army unit had been holding reunions for many years before she and other family members were able to convince him to finally attend a reunion in 2001 at Ken Lake, Kentucky. Sherrie noted that her father was tight-lipped on the journey to the reunion, but talked all the way home They All Started Crying after attending it. But Bentley never spoke much to his “We couldn’t shut him up,” she family about his ordeal in the years after recalled. She speculated that seeing his his 1953 release from the prisoner-offellow former prisoners-of-war broke war camp in Korea. down some sort of barrier to the past “He said I was a girl and didn’t need that he had erected within himself. to hear that stuff,” his daughter said The late Greeneville Sun columnist during a recent interview. Bob Hurley also wrote about Bentley and
some of others who were held prisoner with him. The men, Hurley wrote, endured torture, starvation and sub-zero temperatures while in captivity. Hurley also wrote, in part, that Bentley and J.D. Britton, another Hawkins County POW who had been held in a different POW camp were welcomed home to Rogersville in September 1953 with one of the largest parades ever held in Rogersville. Although Bentley spent the remainder of his life in Hawkins County, Britton and his family moved to Middle Tennessee where he died around the year 2000. Bentley and Britton had not known each other before the Korean War and did not associate with each other after they returned home, Bentley’s daughter Sherrie Bentley Davis said. She also recalled that her father married her mother in 1954 and tried to return to the life he had enjoyed as a farmer before the Korean War. She noted that he always had trouble sleeping. Sherrie said her father was particularly glad to see a former fellow POW whom he referred to as “Pop”, and Newton Duke, a soldier from Alabama with whom he had shared blankets in the POW camp. “They each had one
blanket,” Sherrie recalled. “They would put one on the ground and put the other one on top of them.” Sun columnist Hurley spoke with Newton Duke by telephone in 2009. “We were held most of the time in a camp up near the Siberian border,” Hurley quoted Duke as saying. “The Chinese guards who could speak English would tell us it was 50-degrees below zero.” The Chinese guards, Duke told Hurley, treated the American POWs much better than did the North Korean guards at the camp. But in the spring of 1953, when it became apparent that the war might be coming to an end, the North Koreans began to treat the POWs better, Duke told Hurley. “They began to fatten us up,” he said. “And they even allowed us to shave and get haircuts. They even gave us new clothes and shoes. Then, we learned they were doing it all so they could take some propaganda photographs. Kyle Bentley was given one of the propaganda photos that showed him, along with Newton Duke and other POWS wearing new clothes and shoes given them by their captors.
America’s Veterans: Standing Tall for Freedom
We
proudly salute America’s veterans and active-duty military for their drive and dedication, contributions and courage. Their commitment to our country and our freedom has protected us for generations, and we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. This Veterans Day, please join us in honoring the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who have fought, sacriced and served their country with pride.
1520 E. Main Street • Rogersville, TN 423-272-0555 24-Hour Obituary Line 423-272-2244
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A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018 • Page 7
Bentley and J.D. Britton are shown riding as guests of honor during a Sept., 1953 homecoming parade through downtown Rogersville. Newspaper archive photo
This propaganda photo was taken by the North Koreans of Bentley and other POWs before they were released at the end of the war. Photo courtesy Sherrie Bentley Davis
Hawkins County celebrated the 1953 homecoming of two Korean War POWs BY BILL JONES STAFF WRITER
More than 8,000 people packed downtown Rogersville on Saturday afternoon Sept. 12, 1953, to celebrate the return home of two young Hawkins County men who had been held as prisoners of war in Korea. Thousands of American troops had fought (and many died or were captured or listed as missing in action) during the Korean War, which raged from 1950 to 1953. According to newspaper clippings and other documents made available to the Review by Martha Wallace, U.S. Army Private John Kyle Bentley, of Whitesburg, and Corporal J.D. Britton, of Surgoinsville, and their families, were honored with a parade through downtown Rogersville that ended at the Courthouse. That revelation came as a result of search by American Legion Post 21 First Vice Commander Dennis Elkins for survivors of the county’s former prisoners of war and those missing in action. Elkins had planned a POW-MIA Remembrance Ceremony for Sept. 21 at Post 21 and was trying to locate as many living POWs and their survivors as possible. Wallace said Bentley, who died Jan. 18, 2005, at the age of 75, was her uncle. He also is survived by his daughter, Sherrie Davis. Wallace’s mother had collected newspaper articles, letters and other memorabilia about Bentley after he was taken prisoner, Wallace said. She noted that Bentley arrived in Korea in April 1951 and was captured by the enemy in May of that year. He was initially listed as missing in action by the U.S. Army on May 18, 1951, according to a newspaper clipping. The same newspaper clipping indicated that his family received a letter from Bentley on Oct. 17, 1951, that he had written on Aug. 8, revealing that he was being held prisoner by the Chinese military, which had intervened on the North Korean side after American and United Nations forces pushed North Korean troops almost to the Chinese border. The letter said Bentley was receiving “good treatment” from the Chinese and urged everyone to pray that the conflict would soon be over, according to the newspaper article. The newspaper clipping from 1951 also noted that Cpl. J.D. Britton had been a prisoner of the Chinese for almost a year and had been in the armed forces for three years. The Rogersville Review reported on Thursday, Sept. 10, 1953, that Britton had released from a prison camp in Korea in Aug. 20, 1953, and that Bentley
had been released on Aug. 12, 1953. The Review further reported in its Sept. 10, 1953, edition that Rogersville Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 9543 and American Legion Post 21 were sponsoring a “welcome home” celebration on Saturday, Sept. 12, for the two men. The celebration was to consist of a parade that would begin at 3 p.m. Band music and addresses by several prominent former servicemen, including then-Congressman Pat Sutton, who was a World War II veteran and then ranked as the most-decorated (for his military service) member of Congress, also were to be part of the celebration. Providing music for the parade and the program that followed in front of the Courthouse were: the Rogersville High School and Newport High School marching bands and the VFW Drum and Bugle Corps Band from VFW Post 1990 in Greeneville. The VFW Drum and Bugle Corps had received first-place national recognition at the VFW National Convention in New York City in 1952. It finished second at the VFW National Convention in Milwaukee in 1953.
Washington Street. It then went east on Washington Street to Depot Street and dispersed at the courthouse.
Mayor proclaimed ‘Day of Rejoicing’
Rogersville Mayor James O. Phillips, Jr., proclaimed Saturday, Sept. 12, 1953, as “a day of rejoicing and thanksgiving for the release of these boys.” His proclamation also called on “all our citizens to honor them for their service and devotion to duty; and by honoring them to pay like homage to all of our boys, symbolized by them, who have been thus called in the prime of their youth to meet the challenge of the communist menace.”
Family members of MIAs Sought
The remains of about 200 military personnel who had been missing in action (MIA) since the Korean War (1950-53) recently were returned to U.S. custody by North Korea. American Legion Post 21 First Vice Commander Dennis Elkins said it is possible that the remains of Hawkins County native PFC James E. Begley could be among the 200 sets of remains.
235-1165 (cell). Also anyone who has a family member from Hawkins County who was a WWII, Korean War or Vietnam War POW or MIA and whose name is not one the following list to contact him so that their names can be archived.
WWII POWs
Known World War II prisoners of war from Hawkins County include: Sgt. Howard B. Flowers, Private Lee S. Charles, Private Kyle Jones, Private Horace N. Lee, Private James R. Richards, Private William K. Jones, Private Audley E. Wyatt, Sgt. Frank V. Lee. Private Paul E. Gibson, Sgt. McCauley Price, Private James Potts, Jr., Private Kay Price, Lt. Raymond E. Horne, Jr. Cpl. Dee V. Collier Private Ross H. “Dinky” Mays, PFC Homer C. Skelton, Private Talmadge C Burrell. Private Emory Buck Johnson, PFC Elidge Houseright, Private Ira Shelton, Jr., Private Jessie M. Carpenter, and Private Lawrence Shoemaker.
Missing in Action From WWII
Known military personnel from Hawkins County who were declared missing in action (MIA) during WWII are: Private Robert K. Looney, Private Eugene Walker, Private William L. Sensabaugh, Cpl. Elmer L. Smith, PFC Edgar A. Edens, PFC Horace Woods, Private Chas R. Bledsoe, Private Fred McDonald, Sgt. Ralph C. Marshall, Lt. Sherrell Davis, Sgt. Griffeth Fort, Private Sherman Willis, Sgt. J.C. Trent, PFC Heiskel M. Williams, Private Noah I. Gilliam, Jr., PFC Vean Cavin, and Private Lewis E. Price.
MIAs of Korean War Martha Wallace holds a handwritten letter from her uncle, the late John Kyle Bentley, who was held for 27 months as a POW during the Korean War. Photo by Bill Jones Color guards from neighboring communities also took part in the celebration. A program for the Welcome Home Celebration listed the order of march for the parade. It noted that the parade would start at 3 p.m. and would proceed down Main Street to Rogers Street. It then traveled south on Rogers Street to
Those declared missing in action (MIA) during the Korean War from Hawkins County included: PFC Samuel C. Harris, Jr., and PFC James E. “Jim” Begley.
“I want the people of our town and county to get involved in this effort to honor our POWs and MIAs in some way.” Elkins said. “Their families have gone all these years without any closure (in the case of MIAs).” How to contact Elkins Elkins is a U.S. Army veteran of the Anyone who knows of other POWs or Vietnam War who spent more than a MIAs from Hawkins County can contact Elkins at (423) 272-6843 (home) or (423) year in South Vietnam. “It will take some time to identify the remains,” Elkins said. Begley’s nephew, Rick Begley, lives in Mooresburg, according to Elkins.
The two former POWs and their families posed for this photo after the 1953 homecoming parade in Rogersville. Newspaper archive photo.
Page 8 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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Legion Post 21 honored POWs and MIAs
BY BILL JONES STAFF WRITER
The meeting room at American Legion Post 21 on East Main Street was packed on Friday afternoon, Sept. 21, as the post honored Hawkins County’s former prisoners of war (POWs) and those servicemen who remain missing in action (MIA) from past wars. The event was held from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. and honored 17 former POWs and MIAs – including surviving World War II POWs John Huff and Lawrence Shoemaker who were unable to attend. Tragically, Huff passed away on Sept. 21, which, ironically, was National POWMIA Remembrance Day, according to Post 21 First Vice-Commander Dennis Elkins. Other POWs and MIAs were represented by family members and friends during the POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony. The family members were introduced by Post 21 Commander Cathy Groff and First ViceCommander Dennis Elkins. The ceremony began about 2 p.m. with a welcome from Post 21 First ViceCommander Dennis Elkins followed by an opening prayer. The Pledge of Allegiance was then recited by all those in attendance. First Vice-Commander Elkins then introduced the guests of honor, including former First District Congressman Bill Jenkins, State Rep. Gary Hicks, Jr. and Daryl Brady, a representative of First District Congressman Phil Roe. Former Congressman Jenkins, who also was an attorney, circuit judge and Tennessee Valley Authority director during his long career, told the audience that he knew many of those being honored personally and even produced a Christmas card that his family had received before WWII from Howard Flowers, one of the POWs who was later captured by the Japanese and took part in the infamous Bataan Death March. Post 21 Commander Groff presented certificates to the families of the POWs and MIAs. Congressman Jenkins then presented plaques to the honorees or their family members, while State Rep. Hicks presented POW/MIA pins. Guests were offered the opportunity to speak. Following remarks from guests, the military hymn “Taps” was played by a bugler from Church Hill Veterans of
Vietnam “Gun Truck” on Display — On display outside American Legion Post 21 during, and after, the ceremony, was a
Vietnam War-era “gun truck” named the “Ace of Spades.” The truck is a re-creation of the vehicles that escorted military convoys in Vietnam, featured three machine guns and armor plating. Photo by Bill Jones Foreign Wars Post 9754 and a closing prayer was offered by Daryl Brady. Refreshments were then served and a drawing for door prizes was held.
POW/MIA Families
Family members of POWs and MIAs present for the POW/MIA Remembrance Ceremony included: Jean Bloomer Napier, who represented her cousins Sgt. McCauley Price, a WWII POW, and Pvt. Kay Price, also a WWII POW; Kenneth Charles, son of POW Lee S. Charles; Brenda Gladson and Joyce Thomas, daughters of the late WWII POW Pvt. Ross H. “Dinky” Mayes. Bill Mayes, son of Dinky Mayes, was unable to attend; Gale Carpenter, brother of the late WWII POW Jessie M Carpenter; Don Williams, brother of MIA PFC Heiskell M. Williams; Gene Price, nephew of the late MIA Lewis E. Price; Cleo Bean, sister of the late POW Lloyd Delph; Sue Davis, Wilma Bledsoe, Betty Sandidge and Sarah Clifford, daughters of the late POW Cpl. James C. Greer; Elizabeth Potter and Barbara
Gibbons, daughters of the late POW Staff Sgt. Ralph C. Marshall; Dottie Heck, sister of the late POW Raymond E. Horne, Jr, and other Horne family members.; WWII POW Lawrence Shoemaker (who was unable to attend); Sherrie Davis, daughter of the late Korean War POW John Kyle Bentley; Rick Begley, nephew of MIA PFC James E. Begley; Ken Collier, brother of MIA Staff Sgt. Marion Gale Collier; John Huff, Jr., son, and Debbie Bacon, daughter, of POW Sgt. John Huff; (were unable to attend due to John Huff’s illness) and Teresa Blevis, friend of the late POW Sgt. Howard B. Flowers.
Other POWs Honored
Other POWs who were not represented during the ceremony by family members, but were honored include: Pvt. Kyle Jones; Pvt. Horace Kee; Pvt. James R. Richards; Pvt. William K. Jones; Pvt. Audley E. Wyatt; Staff Sgt. Frank V. Lee; Pvt. Paul E. Gibson;
Pvt. James Potts, Jr,; Cpl. Dee V. Collier; Pfc. Homer C. Skelton; Pvt. Talmadge C. Burrell; Pvt. Emory “Buck” Johnson; Pfc. Elidga Housewright; and Cpl. J.D. Britton.
MIAs to Be Honored
Other MIAs who were not represented during the ceremony by family members, but were honored include: Pvt. Robert K. Looney; Pvt. Eugene Walker; Pvt. William L. Sensabaugh; Cpl. Elmer L. Smith; Cpl. D.V. Collier; Pfc. Edgar A. Edens; Pfc. Horace Woods; Pvt. Chas R. Bledsoe; Pvt. Fred McDonald; Lt. Sherrell Davis; Tech Sgt. Griffeth Fort; Pvt. Shert.man Willis; Tech Sgt. J.C. Trent; Pvt. Ira Shelton, Jr.; Pvt. Noah I. I. Gilliam, Jr.; and Pfc. Vean Cavin.
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A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018 • Page 9
WWII veterans honored here in 2017
BY BILL JONES STAFF WRITER
American Legion Post 21 here honored local WWII veterans for their service during a noon Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, ceremony. Post Commander Cathy Groff and Dennis Elkins, the post’s first vicecommander, presided during the service as the WWII veterans who were able to attend sat in folding chairs at the front of the meeting hall on Saturday afternoon. Veterans’ family members, along with Post 21 members and thenCounty Mayor Melville Bailey, Road Superintendent Lowell Bean and State Representative Gary Hicks, Jr., watched from the audience as the ceremony unfolded. The event began with the pledge of allegiance led by Groff and a prayer by Post Chaplain Gary Snyder. The names of the WWII veterans being honored were read aloud by Elkins. Plaques, certificates and commemorative booklets that contained local WWII newspaper clippings and photos of local military personnel were distributed by former Post 21 Commander Ray Hice and Post Adjutant Dave McCauley to those being honored. Most were U.S. Army veterans, but Leon Gladson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWII, and Roosevelt Smith, 97, a U.S. Navy veteran also were among the members of “The Greatest Generation” who took part in the event. Many of the veterans sported baseball caps emblazoned with the words “WWII Veteran.” The oldest veterans present were 97 years of age and the youngest, at a sprightly 88 years of age, was retired U.S. Army Sgt. Major Ralph Bass who wore a full dress U.S. Army uniform for the ceremony. Elkins said a number of the veterans who were honored were current, or past, members of Post 21 and had been invited to attend. Post members who were invited were John Arnott, 90; Charlie McLain, 92; Isaac Price, 90; James Alley, 95; Larkin
WWII veterans conferred at American Legion Post 21 while waiting to be honored. Photo by Bill Jones Delph, 90; Leon Gladson, 92; James Klepper, 92; Jack Smallwood, 90; Joseph Baker, 93; Albert Horne, 92, Ralph Bass, 88; Dana Fields, 92; and Everett Hatch, Sr., 90. Elkins said all other area WWII veterans had been invited, via articles in the Rogersville Review, to attend the ceremony as well. Non-Post 21 member WWII veterans who came to the Saturday event included: Sherman Whitaker, 97; Lawrence Shoemaker, 97; Roosevelt Smith, 97; and Stokely Trent, 90.
POW among those honored
Lawrence Shoemaker, a Kingsport resident who came to the ceremony with his friend Dana Fields, said he was taken prisoner by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge on Dec. 18, 1944, and
while serving in Company K of the 2nd (Indian Head) Infantry Division’s 9th Infantry Regiment. Shoemaker said he was held prisoner in Germany and Czechoslovakia until the war ended. “They (the Germans) told us the war was over,” he said. “Seventy-three of us (POWs) started walking (away from their POW camp) about 6 p.m. on May 7, 1945. We found two Americans (soldiers) on guard duty about 3 a.m. May 8, 1945.” He noted that German soldiers were making their way back into Germany as he and his fellow prisoners were walking in search of the American lines. “I talked to one of them who spoke a little English,” Shoemaker said. “I wished him luck and he did (the same) to me. I felt sorry for him.”
Refreshments, including cake and ice cream, were served after the program in which the veterans were honored concluded.
More than 16 million served
The U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs says that a total of 16,112,566 men
and women served in the U.S. military services during WWII. Of that number, about 1,711,000 were believed to still be living, according to recent estimates. Post 21’s Ray Hice said 13 WWII veterans who are, or formerly were, members of American Legion Post 21 were known to remain alive in 2017. The U.S. government says that, as of April 2017, there were still 120,240 WWII veterans receiving benefits as a result of their wartime service.
“I want the people of our town and county to get involved in the effort to honor our POWs and MIAs in some way. Their families have gone all these years without any closure (in the case of MIAs).” American Legion Post 21 First Vice Commander Dennis Elkins
H See story on page 7
On Veterans Day, we’d like to share our admiration and appreciation for the brave men and women in uniform whose service and sacrifice have protected our freedom and our way of life through the generations. To all of our dedicated soldiers both past and present, our deepest gratitude and best wishes remain with you and your families on Veterans Day and always!
With Gratitude, Happy Veterans Day! TN #207
423-272-2521 • 800-247-7317 217 East Main St. • Rogersville, TN
Page 10 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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In addition to serving military rites for deceased local veterans, the Hawkins County Color Guard is present at special community events such as the July 4th Celebration, Memorial Day and Veterans Day observations. Their efforts demonstrate a visible and solemn reminder of the honor and respect that should be given our troops and veterans Pictured at right is the Hawkins County Color Guard during the 2017 Veterans Day ceremony.
Color Guard needs veteran volunteers to help with military funeral services
The Hawkins County Color Guard, an all-volunteer organization composed of military veterans, is in need for a few more good men and women to help render military rites during graveside services for deceased local veterans. Composed of volunteers from Hawkins County’s three Veterans of Foreign Wars posts and American Legion Post 21, the Color Guard is in need of ‘new blood’ as most of its current members are Vietnam-era veterans. Veterans of any of the U.S. military services are welcome to become members of the Hawkins County Color Guard. One active member is a Korean War veteran who has passed his 80th birthday. Almost all the over members of the Color Guard are past age 65. Current Color Guard Commander Bill Jones said he and his
fellow members fear that unless younger men and women join up, Hawkins County veterans may soon not have anyone to render military rites for them. “Many of us are in our seventies and common sense says we won’t be able to keep doing military graveside services for much longer without an infusion of new people,” Jones said. “We believe that Hawkins County veterans deserve to have military honors rendered for them when they pass away and we know that their families appreciate it when we provide military honors for their departed loved ones.” Anyone who would like to join the Hawkins County Color Guard or even just come along to see what is involved in providing military honors is asked to call Jones at (423) 2930105.
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A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018 • Page 11
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Page 12 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018 • Page 13
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Page 14 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018 • Page 15
How civilians can lend military families a helping hand
he efforts of men and women in the military is something everyone, be it fellow military personnel or civilians, can appreciate. In an effort to protect their country and stabilize other countries, service members make many sacrifices, including leaving their families for long periods of time. As a result, life is not always easy for military families. Husbands and wives miss their spouses and children miss their parents. In addition, military personnel typically move a lot, making it difficult to establish roots in a community. But there are ways civilians can lend a helping hand to military families. The National Military Family Association offers some simple ways that civilians who want to show their appreciation can lend a helping hand to service members and their families.
VOLUNTEER.
Many volunteer organizations provide services to military families, and these organizations rely on volunteers to keep those programs and services running. Whether volunteering your time, expertise in a certain field or simply making a financial donation, such efforts will be appreciated and will help these important programs continue to meet the needs of military families who need your help.
OFFER DISCOUNTS OR SERVICES FREE OF CHARGE.
Many service members are not well compensated, and discounts on certain products or services can go a long way toward helping military families make ends meet. Accountants can offer to prepare veterans’ tax returns for free, while attorneys can provide legal advice to veterans who need it. Contractors can help disabled veterans by offering to make alterations to their homes for free or at cost.
BE FLEXIBLE WITH EMPLOYEES.
Business owners who employ the immediate family of service members can be flexible with respect to scheduling. Service members who are deployed don’t always make it home for the holidays, and their leave from service isn’t always convenient. But their family members cherish the time they do get with them, so employers can be sympathetic to this and give them some flexibility with respect to their schedule during times when their loved one is on leave.
MAKE A MILITARY FAMILY PART OF YOUR FAMILY.
If a neighbor is in a military family and their spouse or significant other is deployed, invite them over for dinner once a week and include them in your holiday celebrations if they’re
spending the holidays alone because of a deployment. This can help quell the loneliness many military spouses or significant others cope with. A weekly meal with friends and neighbors can add some normalcy to a lifestyle that is often anything but normal.
OFFER BABYSITTING SERVICES.
Those whose spouse or significant other is deployed often find it difficult to get out of the house for a night out with friends or even just some alone time. Offer to babysit or set up a play date with your kids and the child of a military family. This provides a much-needed break that can help men and women recharge their batteries and let off some steam.
HELP A NEIGHBOR.
Unfortunately, many veterans return home with injuries that affect their ability to make it through a typical day without assistance. Disabled veterans may be unable to do their own grocery shopping or maintain their homes. If a neighbor or nearby veteran is facing such hurdles, offer to do his or her shopping or mow his or her lawn. Such tasks won’t take much time but can make a world of difference to veterans. More information about helping military families can be found at www. militaryfamily.org.
HISTORY
CAREERS
Are you a job-seeking veteran? What to know. StatePoint
W November 11 declared “Armistice Day” in honor of the ending of WWI
K
nown at the time as “The Great War,” World War I officially ended on June 28, 1919 with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in France. The fighting had actually ended seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allies and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. The war, which had raged on throughout Europe for a little more than four years, claimed the lives of more than nine million combatants and seven million civilians. The following November United States President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 “Armistice Day” in honor of the cessation of the hostilities, and the day became a federal holiday in 1938. That act was amended in 1954 after veterans service organizations, in recognition of the efforts of soldiers who fought in World War II, asked that the day be renamed “Veterans Day” so it honored all soldiers and not just those who fought in World War I.
ith the veteran unemployment rate at a record low, many who have served in the military are now in the driver’s seat when it comes to civilian job hunting. This is in part because employers understand that veterans bring a wealth of translatable skills and experience to the workforce, including leadership, teamwork and attention to detail. “For veterans, the right employer is one who values the leadership, discipline and service record of military members and veterans,” says Jerry Quinn, Wells Fargo Military Affairs Program manager. “They seek an employer that goes above and beyond to empower them to succeed in and out of the workplace.” Wells Fargo, which established its Military Affairs Program in 2012, is an example of an employer committed to hiring and retaining veteran team members. A variety of job options, confidential resources, educational information and career guidance tools are available to those who served. In fact, eligible team members called to active duty receive military leave benefits and other programming designed to mitigate the burden on their families. Are you a job-seeking veteran? Before accepting an offer, find out whether your potential employer values veterans’ contributions to the workplace. “Start by asking the hiring manager or human resources contact what benefits and programming are offered,” suggests Quinn. “You’ll quickly get a feel for the company culture.” To help get the conversation started, Quinn suggests the following topics of discussion:
• Growth opportunities. Is this position one on track for promotions and raises? Does this company offer resources and support to employees looking to grow? Discover what your future at this company could look like. • Development programs. From apprenticeships and internships to transition services and leadership programming, ask about opportunities that will offer a chance to make new contacts, find a mentor, develop professional skills and learn how to translate existing skills to a new position. • Employee resource groups (ERGs). ERGs can provide resources, opportunities and camaraderie to employees. Find out if the company has a similar group for veterans. • Diversity. Is this a company that values diversity, particularly when it comes to veteran status and disabilities? Will the employer accept your veteran status and value it as an asset? • Benefits. Beyond military leave, are benefits available that provide supplemental pay and continued healthcare when individuals are called to active duty? Research whether the company offers additional fringe benefits to ease the burden of being away on active duty. For example, some employers provide lawn mowing and snow removal to those away from home on military orders. More information about career transition services and the type of workplace benefits offered to veterans are available at wellsfargojobs.com/ military. Remember, military skills and experience is an asset to employers. Hold out for a position that will value what you bring to the table through tangible workplace benefits and programming.
Page 16 • A Salute to Veterans • November 10/11, 2018
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